New airline routes launched (29 April – 05 May 2014)

Air China’s Beijing to Vienna

Say it with flowers. Celebrating the return of Air China to Vienna on 5 May 2014 were (from left to right): Heinz Lachinger, CFO, Austrian Airlines; Julian Jäger, Member of the Management Board, Vienna Airport; Zhao Bin, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Austria; and Feng Run’e, Vice President, Air China. The resumed service is operated four times weekly with an A330-300 and continues on to Barcelona. A two-tier cake was baked to celebrate the new service and was unveiled at the launch party for the route held at the Liechtenstein Palace on the evening of the 6 May.

Air China has increased its presence in Europe with the addition of two additional destinations. On 5 May the Chinese flag-carrier began four times weekly flights from Beijing (PEK) to Vienna (VIE) with the A330-300 then flying on to Barcelona (BCN). Feng Run’e Vice President of Air China said: “Twenty-two years ago, Air China used to have flights to Vienna. Today, the long history of Europe, the growing of the European Union and the irresistible charm of Vienna bring us back. I believe that the re-union of Air China and Vienna will make our partnership tighter, stronger and more fruitful.” Julian Jäger, member of the Management Board of Vienna Airport added: “The flow of traffic between Asia and Europe is expected to grow at an increasing rate in the future. Expanding our long-haul offering is therefore one of our strategic goals and, together with our partners, we are continuously working to attract new carriers to Vienna. The introduction of this new route by Air China shows that we are on the right course. The new connection will bring important growth impulses for the economic and tourism sectors in China and Austria.” See how Vienna Airport’s FTWA compares to the other airports in this week’s Arch of Triumph competition.

Edelweiss Air’s Zurich to Las Vegas

On 5 May, Zurich Airport celebrated the launch of Edelweiss Air’s weekly flights to Las Vegas with a special event at the gate. On hand to cut the celebratory cake’s first slice is Karl Kistler, CEO, Edelweiss.

Celebrations continued at Las Vegas Airport, which welcomed Edelweiss Air’s inaugural flight from Zurich with another marvellous cake. The new long-haul link will be operated by the carrier’s A330-300 and will see a frequency increase to twice-weekly from 6 June.

Edelweiss Air, the wholly owned subsidiary of SWISS and Lufthansa Group, expanded its long-haul network with the addition of weekly flights (Mondays) from Zurich (ZRH) to Las Vegas, NV (LAS) on 5 May. The 9,182-kilometre sector to the most populous city in the US state of Nevada will be operated utilising the carrier’s 332-seat A330-300 and will face no competition. In addition, this service will see a frequency increase to twice-weekly (Fridays) from 6 June. Edelweiss Air will also inaugurate a weekly link to Havana on 8 May as well as twice-weekly operations to Edinburgh on 12 May. See how Las Vegas Airport’s FTWA compares to the other airports in this week’s Arch of Triumph competition.

The rest of this week’s new routes (A – Z by airline)

The four people cutting the ceremonial first flight ribbon for the double-daily Air Europa Madrid to Munich service are (from left to right): María del Mar Ayudarte, Regional Director Germany, Austria & Netherlands, Air Europa; Alexander Schroll, Director Traffic Development, Munich Airport; Alvaro Middelmann Blome, Advisor to the President, Air Europa; and Dr. Michael Kerkloh, President & CEO Munich Airport.

Air Europa continues to add further spokes from its burgeoning Madrid (MAD) hub, launching double-daily E190 flights to Munich (MUC) on 5 May, its only service into the southern German airport. Flying in direct competition with Star Alliance’s Lufthansa (four times daily) and oneworld’s Iberia (thrice-daily), flight timings will no doubt be coordinated to feed the SkyTeam carrier’s long-haul South American network.

On 1 May, Air Serbia began serving Varna with thrice-weekly flights from its Belgrade hub. Passengers on the inaugural flight were welcomed with traditional sweets upon arrival at the Bulgarian gateway.

Air Serbia launched its second route to Bulgaria with the addition of thrice-weekly flights (Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays) from Belgrade (BEG) to Varna (VAR) on 1 May. The 628-kilometre sector to the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast will be operated utilising the carrier’s 62-seat ATR 72s. No other carrier serves this airport pair. In addition, Air Serbia’s new route will see a frequency increase to four times weekly from 16 June. Commenting on the route launch, Dane Kondić, CEO, Air Serbia, said: “The launch of a new service to Varna is perfectly timed to help connecting passengers enjoy a seamless journey to this popular holiday destination. The increased frequency of service to four times weekly from 16 June will be of benefit to holidaymakers throughout the entire region, offering connectivity to mainland Europe and global destinations through our Belgrade hub.”

Aurora Airlines, which is a subsidiary of Aeroflot, commenced a twice-weekly (Tuesdays and Thursdays) scheduled charter service on 1 May between Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (UUS) and Tokyo Narita (NRT). The 737-500-operated service will face no direct competition. For those of you familiar with your global history in this part of the world (like our proprietor), you will know that this town was previously called Vladimirovka, before becoming Toyohara following the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 and the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth. After the end of World War II, the island was occupied by Russian troops, and the town became Russian again and was renamed Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in 1946. See how this route’s Fire Truck Water Arch compares with the competition this week.

Estonian Air launched its second route to Amsterdam on 5 May, when eight weekly flights from Växjö commenced. The new route will open up new possibilities for the tourism business in Småland. Addressing the audience shortly before the first flight took-off, is Ingemar Swalander, Chairman, Växjö .

Later that day, Estonian Air’s inaugural flight from Växjö arrived in Amsterdam, where it was greeted with a cake and a press conference. Marking the celebrations are (left to right): Sofie Nyström, Head of Visit Sweden; Håkan Emsgård, Swedish Ambassador; Flip de Heer, Dutch Ambassador; and Hanne Buis, Director of Aviation Marketing, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Estonian Air, the flag carrier of Estonia, commenced operations to its second route toAmsterdam (AMS) on 5 May, with the addition of eight weekly flights from Växjö (VXO) in Sweden. The 819-kilometre sector to the Dutch capital will be operated using the airline’s 76-seat E170s and will face no competition from other operators. Estonian is already serving Amsterdam with twice-daily flights from its Tallinn base. Commenting on the route launch, Ulf Axelsson, CEO, Växjö Airport, said: “Växjö Småland Airport is extremely happy that after many years of hard work in trying to secure a route to a major European hub that finally the day has come where accessibility is all of a sudden on our door step as opposed to several hours by car or train away. This route will generate huge time and cost savings for both businesses as well as leisure passengers. The timetable is designed in such a way that a business trip to Europe over the day is now a possibility. We are thrilled to say the least.” See how Amsterdam Airport’s FTWA compares to the other airports in this week’s Arch of Triumph competition.

On 1 May, Etihad Regional’s service from Geneva arrived for the first time at Belgrade Airport. The new airport pair will be operated thrice-weekly, using the carrier’s Saab 2000s.

Etihad Regional, which was launched on 16 January and is operated by Darwin Airline, added four more European links to its Geneva (GVA) and Zurich (ZRH) offerings during the course of last week, all of which are operated by its 51-seat Saab 2000s. With the longest sector being the 1,118-kilometre service from Geneva to Belgrade (BEG) operated thrice-weekly, and the shortest being launched from Geneva again, but this time to Zurich at 230 kilometres with daily flights, the carrier will face competition on three of the new airport pairs from easyJet and SWISS.

Launch date

Origin

Destination

WF

A/C

Competition (WF)

1 May

Geneva (GVA)

Belgrade (BEG)

3

S20

easyJet (3), SWISS (3)

Zurich (ZRH)

7

SWISS (63)

Zurich (ZRH)

Turin (TRN)

3

2 May

Florence (FLR)

4

SWISS (21)

Source: Innovata / Diio Mi for w/c 6 May 2014.

Passengers on the first Fiji Airways flight from Sydney to Suva, the capital of Fiji, were given a commemorative scroll and other souvenirs marking the launch of twice-weekly flights on 2 May. (Photos courtesy of Fiji Airways)

Fiji Airways has started twice-weekly (Mondays and Fridays) flights from Suva (SUV), the capital of Fiji, to Sydney (SYD). The 3,240-kilometre route, which launched on 2 May will be operated by the airline’s 737-700s, and faces no direct competition. Stefan Pichler, Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO commented: “We’re excited about the introduction of this new service, which will allow Australian travellers to further explore and experience all that Fiji has to offer. The introduction of the direct Sydney to Suva flight will not only open up tourism for Suva, Pacific Harbour and surrounding islands, but also provide more convenient travel options for Government and business travellers. The new service is a clear demonstration of our desire to grow our network, and boost Fijian tourism and economy.” Fiji Airways already serves Sydney with 12 weekly flights from Nadi, using a mix of A330-200s and 737-800s.

Frontier Airlines, which turned 20 this February, expanded its presence in the US domestic market with five new routes launched from Trenton, NJ (TTN) and Wilmington, DE (ILG) during the course of last week, all of which are operated thrice-weekly using its 138-seat A319s and 168-seat A320s. With the longest route being the 1,289-kilometre sector to St. Augustine, FL (UST), and the shortest being inaugurated to Detroit, MI (DTW) at 710 kilometres, the LCC will face no competition on any of the five new airport pairs. Commenting on the launches from Wilmington, Stephen Williams, Airports Director, Delaware River and Bay Authority, said: “Wilmington Philadelphia Airport and Frontier Airlines are fast becoming the best overall value for budget savvy passengers seeking alternatives for travel to and from the Delaware Valley. With the addition of Atlanta and Detroit to the flight schedule, Frontier continues to offer even more options for our customers. We want to be the consumer’s choice for low fares, free parking, big planes, great destinations, and a hassle-free, convenient airport experience.”

Germania, will begin four new routes this week from three different airports in Germany to two different holiday destinations in Spain and Turkey. As a result of these inaugural flights, the airline now operates two scheduled routes at Friedrichshafen (FDH), with Heraklion starting in June, two at Kassel (KSF) and six at Erfurt (ERF). All new routes will start on a twice-weekly basis, with the longest sector being the Kassel to Antalya (AYT) route — at 2,335 kilometres — and with the shortest being the Friedrichshafen service to Palma de Mallorca (PMI) — at 1,054 kilometres.

Launch Date

Origin

Destination

Aircraft (WF)

Competition

1 May

Friedrichshafen (FDH)

Antalya (AYT)

B73G (2)

2 May

Palma de Mallorca (PMI)

airberlin (1)

Kassel (KSF)

Antalya (AYT)

A319 (2)

4 May

Erfurt (ERF)

B73G (2)

Source: Innovata / Diio Mi for w/c 6 May 2014. WF = weekly frequency.

Blessed by a Fire Truck Water Arch at Lourdes was Iberia’s new twice-weekly service from Madrid.

InterSky, the Austrian regional carrier, launched its fourth route to Zurich(ZRH), with the addition of six weekly flights from Dresden (DRS) on 5 May, joining its existing services from Graz (11 weekly flights), Salzburg (six) and Elba (one). The 557-kilometre sector from the capital city of the Free State of Saxony will be operated utilising the airline’s 50-seat Q300s. No other operator serves this airport pair. See how Dresden’s FTWA measures up against other new routes being celebrated this week.

On 2 May, Jazeera Airways moved its thrice-weekly Kuwait flights from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Atatürk, which will be operated utilising its A320s.

Jazeera Airways, the Kuwaiti low-cost carrier, commenced a new route from its Kuwait (KWI) base, with the movement of thrice-weekly flights (Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen to Istanbul Atatürk (IST) on 2 May. The 2,171-kilometre sector to the primary airport of Istanbul will be operated utilising the airline’s 165-seat A320s and will face direct competition from Turkish Airlines’ thrice-daily services. Commenting on the route launch, Kemal Ünlü, GM, TAV Istanbul, said:“Istanbul Atatürk Airport has now become not only the largest airport in Turkey but also one of the most preferred and admired airports in Europe. Today, we are performing flights to over 200 destinations worldwide from Istanbul Atatürk Airport, which reflects the modern side of developing Turkey, and we are glad that Jazeera Airways started to launch Kuwait flights.” See how Istanbul Atatürk Airport’s FTWA compares to the other airports in this week’s Arch of Triumph competition.

Waltzing off to Vienna from Manchester on 2 May were (left) Stephen Turner, Aviation Commercial Director of Manchester Airport Group and (right) David Neill, Head of Planning at Jet2.com, along with the inaugural flight’s crew.

At the other end of the route, in the Austrian capital, the inaugural flight was welcomed with a football-themed cake. On the apron to mark the first flight were (from left to right): Kerry Strachan, Cabin Crew Jet2.com; James Fahey, Deputy Base Captain Manchester Jet2.com; Markus Penz, Team Manager Vienna Tourist Board; Julian Jäger, COO Vienna Airport; Belina Neumann, Head of Aviation Marketing & Business Development Vienna Airport; David Neill, Head of Planning Jet2.com; and Hannah Slade, Senior Cabin Crew Jet2.com.

Jet2.com has started two new routes from its biggest operational base ofManchester(MAN), which now boasts 43 destinations, launching flights to Jersey (JER) and Vienna (VIE). The former, started on 3 May, will begin with a weekly operation (Saturdays), but will gradually be increased to thrice-weekly as S14 progresses. Flybe will provide direct competition on the city pair, flying eight times weekly (its schedule is also ramped up as S14 reaches its peak). In comparison, the thrice-weekly operation to Vienna, which started on 2 May, will encounter no competition. Steve Heapy, Jet2.com CEO said: “We are thrilled to launch our new Manchester to Vienna route, the only direct flight available from the north. Vienna is a truly exciting destination, famous for its imperial sights, coffee houses, cosy taverns and the very special Viennese charm.” Stephen Turner Aviation Commercial Director Manchester Airports Group said: “We’re delighted that Jet2.com continues to grow from Manchester Airport. It’s been with us since 2004 and at the end of this year will be celebrating an impressive decade at Manchester Airport. Including Vienna, Jet2.com now has a huge choice of 43 routes, expanding the city breaks destination choice even more for our passengers.” Both routes will operated by the LCC’s 148-seat 737-300s.

Accompanied by the obligatory airport mascot, he’s called ‘Ku-Tan’, VIPs gather to mark the start of Jetstar Airways’ new four times weekly service between Melbourne and Tokyo Narita.

Jetstar Airways, has started its third service toTokyo Narita(NRT), adding flights fromMelbourne(MEL) to its existing operations from Cairns and Gold Coast airports in Australia. Launched on 29 April, the four times weekly service will be operated by the LCC’s 303-seat A330-200s. Jetstar will face no direct competition on the city pair.

We have touchdown in Houston! Attending the ribbon-cutting event to celebrate the launch of daily flights from Houston Intercontinental in Texas to Seoul Incheon on 2 May were (starting second from left): John Jackson, VP Passenger Marketing & Sales for The Americas, Korean Air; Ted Poe, US Congressman; Ambassador Suk-Bum Park, US Consul General to Korea in Houston; Mario C. Diaz, Aviation Director for City of Houston; Jerry Davis, Houston City Councilman; Ed Gonzalez, Houston City Councilman Ed Gonzalez; Andy Icken, City of Houston Chief Development Officer. Houston becomes the SkyTeam member’s 11th destination in the US and second in Texas.

Korean Air has inaugurated its latest service to the US with the launch on 2 May of daily flights between Seoul Incheon (ICN) and Houston Intercontinental, TX (IAH). The 11,340-kilometre route will be operated by a mix of the airline’s 777s, and will face no direct competition. John Jackson, VP Passenger Marketing & Sales for the Americas, said: “Korean Air is excited about serving Houston and the Gulf coast. There are enormous opportunities here and we are proud and honoured to be a part of the dynamic Houston business community.” Korean Air already operates more flights to the US than any other Asian carrier, with direct services to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington DC. See how Houston Intercontinental Airport’s FTWA compares to the other airports in this week’s Arch of Triumph competition.

The first flight on 3 May of Lufthansa’s new connection from its Frankfurt hub to the South of France destination of Montpellier, was marked with some in-terminal celebrations.

We’re reliably informed that the Monarch Airlines A321 in the foreground is operating the inaugural weekly flight from Birmingham to Hurghada. The significance of the LCC to Birmingham is clear, with all that Monarch metal in the rear of the shot.

Monarch Airlines has used the first week in May to start up 10 new routes from four of its UK bases, with four routes starting from Manchester (MAN), three from London Gatwick (LGW), two from London Luton (LTN) and one from Birmingham (BHX). All but one of the ten routes face direct competition, London Luton to Naples (NAP) being the exception, with six of the routes having two or more competing airlines. Monarch Airline is profiled in this week’s airline analysis.

Launched

Origin

Destination

Aircraft (WF)

Competition (WF)

1 May

London Gatwick (LGW)

Nice (NCE)

A321 (5)

easyJet (34), British Airways (21), Norwegian (4)

2 May

Birmingham (BHX)

Hurghada (HRG)

A321 (1)

Thomson Airways (1)

London Gatwick (LGW)

A321 (2)

easyJet (2), Thomas Cook Airlines (2),
Thomson Airways (2)

London Luton (LTN)

Antalya (AYT)

A320 (3)

Thomson Airways (1)

Naples (NAP)

A320 (2)

Manchester (MAN)

Hurghada (HRG)

A321 (2)

Thomas Cook Airlines (2), Thomson Airways (1)

Naples (NAP)

A320 (2)

Thomson Airways (2), Thomas Cook Airlines (1)

3 May

Agadir (AGA)

Thomson Airways (2)

4 May

London Gatwick (LGW)

Enfidha (NBE)

A321 (2)

Thomas Cook Airlines (3), Thomson Airways (3)

Manchester (MAN)

A32S (2)

Thomas Cook Airlines (3), Thomson Airways (2)

Source: Innovata / Diio Mi for w/c 6 May 2014. WF = weekly frequency.

On 3 May, Bergen Airport celebrated with a special event the arrival of Norwegian’s weekly services from New York JFK, a route that was launched the previous day from the US gateway. Following a ribbon cutting ceremony, passengers on the inaugural flight were served with cake and delighted with “New York, New York”, a song released by Frank Sinatra in 1980.

Norwegian expanded its presence in the US with two new routes launched during the course of last week, all of which are operated utilising its 291-seat 787-8s. On 2 May, the carrier inaugurated the 5,618-kilometre sector from New York JFK, NY (JFK) to Bergen (BGO) that will be served weekly (Fridays). One day later, on 3 May, Norwegian launched twice-weekly flights (Tuesdays and Saturdays) on the 8,608-kilometre route from Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) to Oakland, CA (OAK). No other carrier serves these two airport pairs. Commenting on the route launch to Oakland, Deborah Ale Flint, Director of Aviation, Port of Oakland, said: “We’re excited and prepared to offer an excellent airport experience matching Norwegian’s award winning onboard service. Oakland International Airport is committed to being the airport of choice for Scandinavian visitors to the Bay Area as well as local residents departing for Europe likely for the first time from Oakland.” See how Bergen Airport’s welcoming FTWA compares to the other airports in this week’s Arch of Triumph competition.

CEO of Hermes Airport Wes Porter addressed the gathered media and Marwan Koleilat, Qatar Airways CCO (with whom he exchanged gifts) at the launch of the oneworld carrier’s Larnaca service: “The arrival of Qatar Airways at Larnaca is an important milestone not only for Hermes Airports but also for the Republic of Cyprus. This new route will not only promote and support tourism development between Cyprus and Qatar, but will also improve the connectivity of Cyprus to the East.”

Qatar Airways became the final MEB3 carrier to linkLarnaca(LCA) with its respective Middle East hub, starting four weekly flights from Doha (DOH) on 29 April. The 2,026-kilometre sector will be operated by the airline’s 144-seat A320s, and will face no direct airport pair competition. Marwan Koleilat, Qatar Airways CCO said: “Cyprus is a fantastic destination and Qatar Airways is thrilled to be providing this new scheduled service to Larnaca. At Qatar Airways we strive to provide our passengers with a strong global network of business and leisure destinations, and the city of Larnaca is a welcome new addition to our extensive route map.” See how this airport compares to its global airport peers in our weekly ‘Arch of Triumph’ competition.

RusLine is clearly promoting its new Prague service to Russian tourists wishing to take in the sights of the Czech Republic’s capital city.

Rusline started flights on 30 April between Voronezh (VOZ) and Prague (PRG), using its 50-seat CRJ 200s. The 1,756-kilometre sector will be flown twice-weekly (Wednesdays and Saturdays) and will encounter no direct competition.

Spirit Airlines’ inaugural flight to Chicago O’Hare was celebrated on 1 May at Oakland Airport with another cake. The new service will be operated daily using the airline’s A319s.

Spirit Airlines expanded its domestic offering with three new services, all of which were launched on 1 May and will be operated daily by its 145-seat A319s. The American ULCC inaugurated from Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (MSP) the 1,664-kilometre sector to Houston Intercontinental, TX (IAH) as well as the 1,506-kilometre route to Baltimore/Washington, MD (BWI), both being served until 1 November. Furthermore, Spirit commenced services from Chicago O’Hare, IL (ORD) to Oakland, CA (OAK). Only the two airport pairs launched from Minneapolis-St. Paul will face direct competition, from Delta Air Lines (35) and United Airlines (32) to Houston Intercontinental and Delta Air Lines (20) to Baltimore/Washington. Commenting on the route launch to Oakland, Deborah Ale Flint, Director of Aviation, Port of Oakland, said: “We’re delighted that Spirit continues to grow its Bay Area base with new service to one of our largest un-served destination airports and to the popular Chicago market. This new daily flight will not only introduce a convenient new option for Bay Area travellers, but it will also open opportunities for more leisure travel to our region by providing easy and affordable access to the Bay Area’s most popular attractions.”

Cakes and music – the perfect recipe for a route launch. This time it was for the launch of Turkish Airlines’ 37th route from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen – a thrice-weekly service to Sarajevo.

Turkish Airlines has begun thrice-weekly operations between its growing mini-hub atIstanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW)and Sarajevo (SJJ). Flown by the carrier’s 159-seat 737-800s, the 959-kilometre sector will see competition from Pegasus Airlines, which operates the route daily. In addition B & H Airlines flies four times weekly between Istanbul Atatürk and Sarajevo, while Turkish Airlines also operates the airport pair 18 times weekly.

On 1 May, Porto Airport welcomed Vueling’s four weekly flights to Brussels with a fantastic cake and orange juice, served to passengers on the inaugural flight.

On the same day the first flights to Porto and Lisbon were celebrated with a total of 1,400 vanilla and chocolate Italian ice creams, distributed to Vueling passengers at Brussels Airport.

Vueling, which in the previous week made Marseille its 14th destination from Palma de Mallorca, further expanded its presence at Brussels (BRU) with the addition of six new services launched during the course of last week, all of which are operated by its 180-seat A320s. With the longest route being the 1,719-kilometre sector to Lisbon (LIS) launched on 1 May and operated six times weekly, as well as the shortest being inaugurated to Venice (VCE) on 1 May at 837 kilometres and served five times weekly, the LCC will face competition on five of the new routes.